First record and supplementary description of Leporinus amae Godoy , 1980 ( Characiformes : Anostomidae ) from freshwaters in Argentina

The genus Leporinus Agassiz, 1829 includes about ninety species occurring in cisand trans-Andean rivers in South America from Trinidad to Argentina (Garavello and Britski 2003; Birindelli and Britski 2009; Garavello and Santos 2009). The highest diversity of this genus is present in the Amazon basin with approximately 45 species (Feitosa et al. 2011). Four species of Leporinus are known from the Uruguay River basin: L. amae Godoy, 1980; L. lacustris Amaral Campos, 1945; L. obtusidens Valenciennes, 1837; and L. striatus Kner, 1858 (Braga, 1993; Godoy, 1987; Zarucki et al., 2010). Leporinus amae was described from the Rio Apuaê, a tributary of the Rio Pelotas, in the Uruguay River basin in Brazil (Godoy 1980). The original description of L. amae is based on eight specimens but most of the characters were taken from a single female (holotype) of 128 mm of standard length (SL). The description of L. amae therefore lacks intraspecific variation in meristic and morphometric characters (except for scale counts of the lateral line provided by Godoy 1980). During several field trips in the Uruguay River basin in Misiones Province, Argentina, several specimens of L. amae were collected. Thus, the aim of this paper is to record this species for the first time in the freshwaters of Argentina and provide a supplementary description of this species.

Leporinus amae was described from the Rio Apuaê, a tributary of the Rio Pelotas, in the Uruguay River basin in Brazil (Godoy 1980).The original description of L. amae is based on eight specimens but most of the characters were taken from a single female (holotype) of 128 mm of standard length (SL).The description of L. amae therefore lacks intraspecific variation in meristic and morphometric characters (except for scale counts of the lateral line provided by Godoy 1980).
During several field trips in the Uruguay River basin in Misiones Province, Argentina, several specimens of L. amae were collected.Thus, the aim of this paper is to record this species for the first time in the freshwaters of Argentina and provide a supplementary description of this species.Godoy, 1980 (Figures 1-5).

Leporinus amae
Morphometric data of 10 specimens are presented in Table 1.Medium-sized species, largest specimen 120.8 mm SL.Body elongate, moderately compressed, greatest body depth at dorsal-fin origin.Dorsal profile strongly convex at tip of snout; nearly straight along predorsal region, then gently convex to dorsal-fin origin; straight from dorsal-fin origin to adipose-fin origin, and distinctly concave from this point to base of anteriormost procurrent ray of caudal Abstract: Leporinus amae is known from the Rio Apuaê (type locality), Rio Canoas and Rio Caveiras tributaries of the Uruguay River basin, in Brazil.The original description of this species was mainly based on a single specimen lacking intraspecific variation in meristic and morphometric of most characters.We expand the range of distribution and report the first occurrence of Leporinus amae in Misiones Province, Argentina.Additionally, we provide a supplementary description of the species.
Colour in alcohol.Background of flanks yellow, black on back (Figure 3).Head with black stripe from tip of snout to posterior margin of opercle (Figure 4).Flank with a wide dark brown midlateral stripe from snout tip to caudal-fin base.Midlateral stripe of one scale deep, running on lateral line scale series; slightly deeper on caudal-fin base.A thin pale yellow lateral stripe just above midlateral stripe from distal margin of opercle to caudal-fin-base.Dorsal and caudal fins pale gray with scattered chromatophores on rays.Anal, pectorals, and pelvic fins yellowish with scattered chromatophores on rays.Adipose fin yellowish with gray submarginal spot.Coloration in life: Background of flanks yellow, black on back; cream ventrally (Figures 3 and 5).Upper lip and part of the lower lip, ventral region of opercle, subopercle, and interopercle red (Figure 4).Red scattered chromatophores on cheek and red ring around the pupil.Red chromatophores on branchiostegal membranes (Figure 5).A yellow and narrow lateral band just above midlateral band.Scattered red or iridescent violet scales above (especially on a yellow band) and below black midlateral band.All fins yellow with scattered dark chromatophores.
Distribution.Leporinus amae was registered from the type locality Rio Apuaê (Godoy, 1980), andRio Canoas andRio Caveiras (Godoy, 1987), all from Uruguay River basin, in Brazil.In Argentina, this species is currently known from the contact zone between the upper and lower Uruguay River basin, which are divided by the Moconá Falls.It was recorded from the arroyo Toro, affluent of río Pepirí Guazú above the Moconá Falls, and from arroyo Fortaleza (Figures 6 and 7), and arroyo Yabotí-Mini bellow the Moconá Falls, all in Misiones Province, Argentina.

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Leporinus amae, upon capture, arroyo Fortaleza, not preserved, close shot of the head in lateral view.

Figure 5 .
Figure 5. Leporinus amae, upon capture, ventral view, arroyo Fortaleza, not preserved, close shot of the head in ventral view.

table 1 .
Morphometric data for 10 specimens of Leporinus amae from the Uruguay Basin in Argentina, SD = Standard deviation.Measurements follow Feitosa et al. (2011).